Election Night’s Big TV Moments

Unlike past years, I didn’t spend all election night bouncing all over the TV dial. So I’m not the best guy to ask for a comprehensive list of most notable moments and images from the coverage. The folks at TVguide.com, however, are all over it. Here’s a an abridged rundown:

Best Set: Rockefeller Center, with beautiful lighting, live crowds and the impractical-but-extremely-cool-iced-map-in-the-skating-rink, provides a glamorous backdrop for NBC’s coverage.

Worst Sets: Fox and NBC take time out from their coverage to show how their sets are green-screen-generated. At least Fox News’ sleek backdrop isn’t as hokey as NBC’s Greek columns.

First and Biggest Gaffe: Around 9 pm ET, Fox’s Brit Hume calls the key state of Ohio for Obama, then backs off almost immediately: “I apologize folks. I’m told that we are not calling Ohio, that the checkmark was misplaced. Maybe it was the one that was supposed to go to Wisconsin and ended up in… you know, we’ve got a lot of maps and stuff to fool around with here tonight… every now and then, somebody puts a check in the wrong place and look what happens.” Within the next 20 minutes Fox and MSNBC both announce that Obama has won Ohio.

Longest Lag: If Fox jumps the gun on Ohio, CNN ignores the shot, waiting until 9:34 to call it. It fills the time between the other cable networks’ Ohio projection and its own with footage of Hank Williams Jr. performing at John McCain’s campaign party, Wolf Blitzer promising a “a big projection” on the way, a commercial break, and John King explaining how McCain can still win the Buckeye State.

Weirdest Technological Advance: Will.i.Am speaks holographically to Anderson Cooper about his “get out and vote” video. Help me, Obi Barack Kenobi. You are my only hope.

Best International Reporting: On Comedy Central, Indecision 2008’s Senior Foreign Correspondent, Aasif Mandvi, purports to report live from Al-Qaeda headquarters that terrorists are disappointed with Obama: “These guys were told Obama was their candidate, but the more they learn about this guy the less they like,” Mandvi explains. “The radical madrasa he allegedly went to was in fact Harvard Law, which, as madrasas go, is fairly liberal.” Mandvi goes on to explain that young terrorists favor Obama, while those 25-30 favor McCain. Jon Stewart: “And the terrorists over 30?” Mandvi: “You don’t know much about terrorism, do you Jon?”

Middle Ground Award: Appearing on NBC, Rudy Giuliani says, “You know what happens tomorrow? We all become Americans, and support Barack Obama or John McCain, whoever won. Because if they fail, we fail.”

Best Moment of Silence: After nearly two years of pronouncements, guesses, and so much arguing, the talking heads of MSNBC and CNN fall silent after Obama’s win to show massive crowds of supporters in jubilant celebration.

Most Solid Proof Reporters Are Human: ABC News’ Steve Osunsami, reporting from historically African-American Morehouse College, chokes back tears while reporting his own response to Obama’s win: “From a personal note, as a kid I grew up in a neighborhood that was mostly black, and my father used to tell us that there’s no way this country would elect a black president. Well this evening, the country has proved my old man wrong, and we’re the better for it.”